Momentary Confusion
by heart dipped in invisible ink
Summary: Brash and bold is one way to describe her. So when she finds him hiding in some random cave in the middle of the mountains in some far-off region, he is not surprised at her sudden appearance, never pondering as to how she has managed to find him. N/Touko


Brash and bold is one way to describe her.

The way she charges headfirst into danger with bright blue eyes glaring brilliantly—her intentions always so strong and clear—it always seems to rouse something inside of others, especially him. But she really doesn't give a damn about her well-being. And she's not afraid to speak her mind, never trying to flatter others when all they need is the truth, and she's unafraid of the repercussions of running her mouth off—because she never holds back.

So when she finds him hiding in some random cave in the middle of the mountains in some far-off region, he is not surprised at her sudden appearance, never pondering as to how she has managed to find him.

He doesn't bat an eyelash, not even when she is screaming and flailing accusing fingers at him, spitting out the occasional profanity and then veering off into intangibility. Unfair, cold-hearted, selfish, childish, coward… she calls him all of this, and much, much more. And maybe all of these things are true about him; but he doesn't really pay attention to what she is saying at the moment.

"I hope you know that it's snowing outside," he informs her, cutting her off mid-rant.

She takes in a deep a breath and manages to grind out: "What?"

"You're wearing shorts," he adds helpfully (or so he hopes he is being helpful), "It tends to get extremely cold in the winter months…because of the snow."

There is a pause—whether it is of momentary confusion on her part, he cannot tell.

Her indignant sputtering breaks the tense silence between them.

"Why…why the _hell_ should you even be thinking about what I wear when I'm trying to…because I—I'm _trying_ to say that…you are such an insufferable little…!"

Here she waves her arms around rather dramatically, cheeks flushed and eyes bright, and then suddenly jabs her pointer finger at his chest rather harshly.

He stares at her with owlish eyes—because this stammering, hesitant Touko who now cares about trying (and yet magnificently failing) to word her sentences correctly is not the same unafraid Touko who he is used to.

"Um…"

She takes another jab at his rather now sore chest, thereby silencing him. "Don't…don't you dare interrupt me when I'm trying my hardest to tell you something so important that it''ll be the end of me if I don't say it to you now!"

He stays quiet and watches as she steadies her wobbling legs and clenches her fists tightly to calm her racing heart.

Now she leans in closer to him—so close that he can see the light scar that traces her cheek from her nasty fall off a cliff (it had happened so long ago, but he can remember the way his heart pounded erratically as he raced to break her fall) and smell the smell of the peppermint gum that she had chewed on before—but she speaks so quietly that he has to close what little distance that is left between them so that he can hear what she is saying.

"…always so careful aren't you? You never say what you really feel; is it because you're afraid to trip and fall over the wrong words? But you can't always hide away in your own little world, you know. You'll have to get out there someday, and make your own mistakes. But that doesn't mean that you should give up, N. Because I… because I will always be there to help you get back on your feet. Because you're important to me. And I promise that you'll never be alone."

She is full out crying now, but despite his lack of human contact and social awkwardness, he has a very clear idea as to the reason behind her tears. So he pulls her against him and hugs her tightly as if to say that he won't let go of her this time around—because he has finally found his truth as well as his ideal (it's been there all along of course, but he has never realized it until now).

And when she wraps her arms around his torso and starts to sob even louder, he can't help but know that his future is with her and that this is what he had been searching for all along.

* * *

><p>Because saying "I love you" is so overrated. Seriously.<p>

And because N and Touko should have a happy ending…yeah.


End file.
